So Easy
by Draco-Hermy
Summary: For the Endless Opportunities Challenge! Hermione has a pretty good life. She's living as head of her department, and she's got her own place! So far, so good. Until Draco Malfoy shows up- and he needs a favor. Disclaimer: HP isn't mine! Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

My room is a desolate place. The wallpaper is old, flaking off of the walls in pieces. The picture frames are empty, and some are smashed. They sit on a dresser that's been mine for so long, it should be decaying. It isn't, of course. There used to be a mirror on the wall above it, but I took it down after it had too many cracks. My bed is small, with a blanket and two pillows, and it lies next to the one window in the room, which is foggy because it's early in the morning.

The most important thing in my room, however, is the vase on the nightstand beside my bed. Well, no, not the vase. The flowers in it. I haven't watered them since Ron left, almost two years ago. They're beyond dead at this point. Probably have mold, but I can't bring myself to get rid of them. They're the last things Ron ever gave me, and I'm not about to let them go.

I'm up early because the Ministry of Magic opens in an hour, and I have to be there on time. Can't be late to work. I don't feel like going, but how else can I pay for this flat? It's not like it costs that much, but I don't make that much, either.

I'm sitting on my bed right now, staring out the window at Diagon Alley. There aren't many people at this time of day, though that's to be expected. It's only five in the morning, after all.

I go into the kitchen and make cereal. I've always liked cereal. It's one thing the wizarding world shares with the muggle one. It's like me. Plus, how can anyone not like cereal?

It's time for work, six in the morning. I could walk- it's so close- but I'm not up to it. I apparate and save ten minutes that I should have wasted. The Ministry is dark and cramped most of the time, but right now it isn't so terrible. Light filters from the enchanted windows, a nice change from the hurricanes we've been having (someone must have gotten a pay raise), and I'm one of the first people here.

I head up to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which I'm the head of. This floor is always full of surprises. I think we have a cross between a cow and a phoenix somewhere. I can't keep track of everything by heart, but the files are in my office. I make a note to check, but I forget it by the time I reach my office.

My office isn't personalized at all. We're allowed to add photos and things, but I've never felt the need. Who wants to see my pictures? The only ones I have are of Ron and myself, anyway. All of my other pictures, the ones with my parents, disappeared with the War.

I do have books, so I pick one out and open it, only to be interrupted by my intern. She's bright and sweet, if a little misguided at times. She pokes her head in and bites her lip.

"Miss Granger, you have a visitor," she says, and blushes.

I want to ask why the visitor, whoever it is, makes her blush, but I don't get the chance. My door opens wider, and Draco Malfoy steps in. He turns to the girl.

"You can go, now." The girl scuttles away, and I clench my fists. He has no right to order her around!

"Close the door," I say, and I'm surprised to see that he does. The door clicks shut and he pulls up a chair on the other side of my desk. "What are you doing here?" I ask him.

He raises his eyebrows. "You haven't seen me in a year, and that's how you greet me? I expected a hello, at least."

"And at most?"

He places his elbows on my desk, leans forward, and says, "For you to use my actual _name_, of course."

"What do you mean?" I blink. What?

He rolls his eyes. "My _name,_ Granger. You haven't called me by my name yet."

"You just walked into my office!" I lean back and glare at him. "And you changed the subject. Why are you here?"

"I can't visit an old friend?"

I laugh in his face. "Friend? I can think of about a hundred things to call you, Malfoy, and not one of them is a friend."

"Sweet of you."

"I'm sorry I can't say the same. But why won't you answer my question? Something to hide?" I smile for the first time this week and get out of my chair. "A confession? Or could you just not stay away?"

"How about none of the above?" he asks, and gets up as well and walks over to me.

"Then why?"

"I need a favor," he says, and looks away.

"From me? What could I possibly give you?" I ask.

"Not from you, exactly. From your department."

"What do you have to do with magical creatures?" I narrow my eyes at him. He has all the money he could ever need, anyway. How much could he make from my department?

Draco takes a deep breath, and I feel a sudden flash of dread. Is it something illegal? But then I think about it, and realize that he wouldn't be here, in the _Ministry of Magic_, if it were something against the law.

"I shouldn't have come," he says, and turns around to leave.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him. He reaches the door and grabs the handle, but it won't turn. He looks around in confusion. I put my wand back in my pocket and point to the chair in front of my desk.

Draco turns back around, takes a step toward the chair... and brings out his wand. He flicks it at the door, making it swing open, and he walks out. Just before he leaves, however, he sticks his head back through the doorway.

"Excuse my rudeness, but I really shouldn't be here." And then he's gone.

I stand there for a while with my mouth open, until I find the sense to close it and get to work. I don't understand why he came if he was just going to leave. I shake my head and get prepared for another tedious workload.

My day was much longer than I was ready for.

I couldn't stop thinking of Draco Malfoy and why he'd come to my office. What could he gain from the nineteen-year-old head of the Creatures department? And even though I tell myself it doesn't matter, I can't seem to get it out of my head.

I apparate back to my apartment, because I'm much too tired to exert myself. I also hate roaming the streets at night, after the War.

Appearing right in the kitchen wasn't the best idea, I suppose, but I'm hungry. The Ministry doesn't exactly have top-notch food. Neither do I, but I find it's better to eat at home than that sewer. No, I shouldn't call it a sewer. Kingsley's brightened it up quite a bit since he became Minister. Not a sewer.

I sit on my kitchen stool with a piece of lukewarm pizza in front of me. I could heat it up with magic, but that would mean effort, and I'm not up for that at the moment. As I take a bite out of it, I find myself staring at the brick wall across from me, where an empty picture frame with a gold border hangs. It's surrounded by shabby light green cabinets, and a wooden countertop sits underneath it. There isn't a stove (I see no point), but there is a refrigerator a few feet to my right. There's an empty frame next to that, too. My apartment is full of those things.

Overflowing with unfilled promises. Vacant reminders of what I used to have.

I take a bite of my pizza. It isn't half bad, but it doesn't matter. I can't taste it.

A loud creaking sound comes from the next room over. My living room! I swallow the pizza and walk into the other room. That creak sounded like-

My couch has been invaded.

Sitting on the emerald cushions, his feet kicked up on the grey coffee table, is none other than Draco Malfoy.

"I would have expected better living conditions for the Chosen One's right-hand-woman."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- I haven't done FF in a while, so bear with me. But I hope you guys like it more than my other stories. I would love to have improved! R&R, please! Sorry for the time lapse. Terrible Internet here.**

"What are you _doing_ here?" I would say that I ask him, but it's more of a yell. Let me rephrase that: I scream. Can you blame me?

Draco's mouth curves into an infuriating smirk. "We didn't get to finish our meeting this morning."

"You mean the meeting that _you_ started, unannounced, and _you_ left, for no apparent reason?" I doubt that I'm actually shaking, but I could be. How can anyone be so arrogant? You'd think I'd have gotten used to his personality by now, having known him for eight or nine years, but it never ceases to annoy me.

"So we're on the same page. Good," he says. And then, obviously craving a death sentence, he pats the couch cushion beside him. I clench my fists and stay where I am. "Come on," he says. "At least be polite."

I glare at him, but sit I down on the couch. I slide as far to the side as possible, and I cross my arms. I keep up the glare, hoping to intimidate him. It doesn't seem to work. He's still smirking. Jerk.

"What did you want to _finish,_ exactly?" I ask him.

"I still need that favor," he says.

"And I still don't know what that favor is," I reply. Draco lifts an eyebrow.

"Do you really want to know?"

"If I'm going to help you out, I _need_ to know!" I didn't mean to yell at him, but it seems to do the trick. He looks half amused, half afraid. Good. He needs to know that I can do much more to him than just refuse his deal.

"Fine, fine! There's a... problem with my work," he says, speaking very slowly, as if picking just the right words.

"Your _work?_ So Malfoys work, now?" I ask him. He rolls his eyes, but nods.

"I told another company that I would show up to the next big event with a new species of magical creature. The other company works with _new_ things, you see. I had to tell them something _new_ in order to have a partnership," Draco says.

I close my eyes and sigh. "I don't know if I can give you a new species. They're not all _legal_, you know. That's why they're being held in the Ministry."

"But what about the ones that _are_ legal?"

"We have some. But you aren't allowed to take them out of the building." This isn't strictly true, but what has he done to deserve a favor from me?

He sits in silence for a while, and I start to hear a tapping noise, coming from the floor. I look down and realize that I'm tapping my foot. That only happens when I'm... nervous... oh, no. I'm going to agree to this. Even if I say no right now, I'm going to go back to him and help him. I can't help not helping people. It's a great weakness, but one that I wish I didn't have.

"Fine," I say.

He looks up. Well, he more _jerks_ up, his eyebrows raised in what I suppose is anticipation. "You'll help me?"

I sigh. "You came to the right person." Draco smirks, and his face relaxes. "So, what kind do you need?"

"What?"

I shake my head. Isn't he the one who asked _me_? "What type of crossbreed?"

"Oh. I don't know. Something _new_," he says, putting his hands behind his head. The ultimate gesture of comfort.

"I've got that. But do you have anything specific in mind?"

"Not really. How about the newest thing you can get me?" he asks. I lift an eyebrow at him.

"You realize you'll need to sign papers?" I begin to rise, but Draco puts out a hand to stop me. He clutches my shoulder and pushes me back down. "What?" How can one person be so irritating?

"Why are you getting up?" he asks. "Can't we just sit here and sign papers? Or is there some kind of _official signing room?"_ I scowl at him. His hand is still on my shoulder, creating an annoying tingly feeling that I really don't want to feel right now, so I push it off. I succeed in rising from the couch.

"The papers are in another room," I tell him.

"I don't see why you can't just summon them," Draco says. He picks up his wand from the table, next to his feet. "Remember these? _Accio papers!"_

Nothing happens. He frowns and tries again, which doesn't work. He sits up and knocks his wand against the table. As much as this amuses me, I can't bear to see him do that all day. Laughing, I tell him that he can't summon the papers.

"Why not?" Draco crosses his arms.

"I put an Anti-Summoning Charm on all the papers in the room, so that no one can just steal them," I say, starting to walk toward my bedroom. Draco grumbles behind me.

I'm surprised when he gets up to follow me. I thought he'd just sit there, because he's always been incredibly lazy, and it won't take too long. I don't particularly want him in my room. It's too shabby for even my taste, and I don't want Draco having any reason to mock me. But it's not like I can just order him to stay on the couch. So I let him walk behind me into my room.

Draco coughs when he enters. "This is your room?"

"Yes. I know it isn't quite up to your standards or anything, but I do live in a flat-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"No, it's... cozy."

"As in, shabby."

"No. As in... cozy." he finishes, somewhat lamely.

"Very descriptive person, you are," I say, and walk to my nightstand.

"Why do you have a bouquet of dead flowers?" Draco asks, walking next to me and feeling one.

"Ron gave them to me," I say, a bit stiffly. "Before he..."

"Oh, right. I heard about that," Draco says. "Sorry for asking."

"No, it's fine. I just keep them because it's the last thing I have of him, and I guess..." I trail off, not knowing what to say to this boy, man, really, that used to torment me through my school years.

"You're not over him," he guesses. "It's been two years, Hermione. I think it's time to let go."

"We're not here to talk about my preference for flowers." I change the subject, fearing letting anything slip to Draco. "We're here to sign papers that will grant you permission to borrow a crossbreed."

"Right," he says, and I reach behind the vase. I charmed the wall to open when I touch it, just in that one spot, so it acts like a safe that only I can open. I reach inside and grab some papers, hoping they're the right ones. Thankfully, they are.

I walk as briskly as I can out of the room and back to the couch. I lay the papers out on the table and wait for Draco to come. He saunters back to the couch and looks at what I've done.

"Just two papers?"

"Yes. And two signatures, mine and yours." I push the papers a bit closer to him so he can read them. Draco scans them and looks up at me, brows furrowed.

"I can only take the animal if you're with me?"

"I'm head of department, so yes," I answer. Draco takes a deep breath.

"I guess you're coming to Friday's dinner party," he says.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Here's the third chapter! It's shorter than the other two, but I thought I had a good ending. Please R&R, you all know how appreciative a writer is when they get reviews!**

"A dinner party?" I ask.

"I told you there was an event," Draco replies. "And if you have to be there, then fine."

I swallow. This might be a problem. "I don't... I mean, I've never..."

"What?" he asks.

"I've never been to a dinner party," I say in a small voice.

"Oh, that won't matter. Half the people there won't have been to one, either." I think it's meant to be reassuring, but I doubt he's telling the truth. I decide not to question him, however, because this is his element.

"What do I wear? Is it formal?" I ask.

"It's only a dinner for the most important people in the wizarding world at the moment," Draco says, his voice filled with so much sarcasm, I can almost see it. "Why would it be formal?"

"Fine, it's formal. When is it?"

"Friday."

"I _know_ it's Friday. What time?" I ask. He rolls his eyes.

"I don't know! I'll pick you up when it happens," he says. "Bring a new crossbreed." Before I can open my mouth, he twists on the spot and he's gone.

_A new crossbreed,_ I think. _As if we hadn't just gone over that._ I shake my head. _Wait,_ I think to myself.

_I'll pick you up when it happens,_ he said.

_I'll pick you up._

"I have to tell Ginny," I say to myself.

*DRAMIONE - DRAMIONE - DRAMIONE*

Twenty minutes later, I'm over at the Potters' house. It's only been a few months since the War ended, but Harry and Ginny are already living together. I don't know why. Ginny's barely eighteen and Harry just turned nineteen. But who am I to deny love, right?

I knock at their door, and within ten seconds it flies open to reveal my best friends' smiling faces. They look more chipper than usual.

"Hi, Hermione!" Ginny says. She grabs my arm and tugs me inside.

"What is it?" I ask. "What happened?" Ginny's practically bouncing, and Harry won't stop grinning. It's infectious- I start laughing. "What's going on?"

Ginny squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, and then holds her hand up in front of my face. Her left hand.

It has a ring on it.

"Oh, guys!" I say. I'm happy for them, they're meant for each other, but how can I talk to Ginny about what I've gotten myself into now? She'll be too dazed to help. Harry probably will be, too. But I'll try. It's not like I've got anyone else to go to, anyway. I let myself hug them, let them know that this is great. This is awesome.

But I've got to wipe their smiles away with my news. I've experimented with keeping my problems to myself, and they just get worse.

"Guys," I say.

"Yeah?" Ginny asks, still grinning.

"I have some weird news."

Harry chuckles. "What could be weirder than this?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," I tell them. "I have a date with Draco Malfoy."

Their smiles freeze in place. Ginny grabs my arm again and leads me to the couch.

She forces a laugh. "What?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N This isn't the best chapter, but it's a filler, so it wouldn't be. Sorry about the awfulness, but it had to happen.**

I tell them everything except for our conversation about my flowers. Harry and Ginny don't know I still have them, and they don't need to. Ginny sighs repeatedly and Harry looks murderous.

"It isn't that bad," I finish. "It's not like this is anything illegal."

"You still have to go with him," Ginny says.

"But..."

"Don't you dare say he isn't too terrible, Hermione," Ginny tells me. "You've always been too nice to people, and that's great sometimes, but not _this_ time."

"Maybe he's changed," I say.

"Maybe. But probably not for the better. At least, not according to the hundreds of articles in the Prophet," Harry says.

"I guess. But that doesn't change the fact that I have to go."

"No. It doesn't. You've got to be honorable-" Harry starts, but Ginny butts in.

"So there's only one thing to do," she says.

"Which is?" I ask.

"Figure out your outfit!" she says.

"But you just-"

"You don't have to like Draco to have fun at this banquet."

"It's a bunch of rich people! There's no way I'll have fun," I say.

"No, you won't," she agrees. "Not unless you look amazing!"

"Is there any way I can talk you out of this?"

"Don't even try," Harry says. "It's better not to."

"What banquet is this, again?" Ginny asks.

"Probably the Collaboration Celebration that the Prophet advertised all week," I answer. "Draco's company and the Magical Creatures Association are joining together on some project that neither of them really wants to do."

"Ah, politics," Harry says. "Will they never cease?"

"Shut up," Ginny advises him.

"Shutting."

Ginny takes my arm yet again and we go straight to her room. She plops me on her bed and stands back to take a look at me. I feel like I'm about to be violated in the way of Ginny.

"The banquet is Friday," she says.

"Yes."

"And today is Wednesday."

"Correct," I answer, wondering where this is going.

She nods. "We have time."

I roll my eyes. "Come on, Ginny. It's not like this is a real date or anything. It's a favor."

"Exactly. But it'll be a beautiful favor."

I groan. "Really?"

"Yes." She twirls her wand, and a black dress appears on the bed next to me. She waves it again, and I'm wearing it. It's sleeveless and short and tight and I really do feel violated at the moment.

"Get it off of me," I tell her.

"Gladly. It doesn't work for you," she answers.

"Of course not." Another twirl, and I'm wearing a red glittery dress that's a bit longer, but still too tight.

"That doesn't look right, either. Glitter isn't good on you." A flick, and the dress lengthens, turns dark green, and loses the glitter. I open my mouth to speak, but Ginny holds up a hand. "Stand up," she says, and I do. She narrows her eyes at me, and I stand there, unsure of what to do.

"Is it good?" I ask.

"That's not the question," she tells me.

"Then what is?"

"How many dances this can take before looking too stunning."

"Oh, shut up."

**A/N PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N It's been a while, but I haven't been motivated. I do only have one review, you know. I'd love to have more... Makes me feel like I'm incompetent. I'm not, am I?**

Friday night comes, and Malfoy has talked to me repeatedly about the crossbreed. Apparently, his company absolutely can't survive if they don't make this deal. I've rented a cross between a phoenix and a crab. It looks disturbingly like the Blast-Ended-Screwts from my fourth year at Hogwarts, except that this one is reborn every few weeks. The company will be allowed to take eggs from it so they can study it, which is the entire purpose of this dinner party, it seems.

I have the phoenix crab in a fireproof cage near my door, and I'm wearing the dress Ginny gave me. I made it a little less tight so I can walk, and I abstained from wearing too much makeup or doing stuff to my hair or anything like that. My shoes are flats, practical, even though Ginny wanted me to wear five-inch high heels. I burned those.

At a quarter to eight, when Draco said he would come, a loud bang sounds. I jump, but quickly recover to see him standing in front of me.

"It's polite to knock," I say.

"You would have invited me in anyway. I was saving time."

I roll my eyes. "Saving time is not the same thing as being rude."

"I wasn't being rude, I was making an entrance!"

I open my mouth to speak again when the phoenix crab belches flame through the bars of its cage. I shudder and nudge the cage toward Draco. He swallows and levitates it.

"This is the crossbreed?" he asks.

"The newest one we have." Draco takes a deep breath, resigning himself, and brings it through the door.

"We can walk," he tells me. "We're only about ten blocks away."

"That's close. Where are we going, anyway?"

"Celestina Warbeck's place. She's really into animals, so she made a charity where she performs and gives the money to her organization that takes care of animals," he explains.

"Must not get that much money," I mutter, remembering all those Christmases at the Burrow with Mrs. Weasley, listening to Celestina warble through the wireless.

"No, she doesn't. But she's got enough to fund our next project, and we want to make a deal." We start walking.

I look around us at Muggle London. "Won't people notice two dressed up nineteen-year-olds walking down the street?"

"I doubt it. There are so many parties at Celestina's house, everyone's used to fancily dressed people wandering this area."

I look at his outfit. Just a silver tuxedo. "Always the Slytherin, I see."

He glances at my dress. "Not too different from your own outfit, though. Your apartment has the Slytherin colors as well, have you noticed?"

I think about it. My rug, my walls... grey and green all over. I sigh. "I didn't paint the rooms, but it doesn't look awful, so I didn't change it."

I notice that the crossbreed's cage is gone. "Where is the phoenix crab?" I ask, a bit of panic fluttering in my chest.

"I wasn't going to show it to all the Muggles," Draco says, in a tone that says this should be obvious. "It's invisible, right next to me."

"That's good," I say, sighing. "I thought it was gone."

"Nope."

We walk in silence for a few minutes. I watch as the buildings become older and have more stone embedded in the walls and roofs. We're just passing a particularly large house that's almost completely made of rock, with a white door and handsome marble steps, when Draco grabs my arm. He pulls me to a stop and we face the house. I'm not thinking of the beautiful house as he tells me that we're here.

No. I'm thinking of Draco, and how his hand has slipped into mine while we walk to the door. I figure it must be a show, but I don't know how that would help him.

My heart pounds.

I wish it wouldn't.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Sorry for the long wait! Of course, I'm not sure many people care, since I only have two reviews on this thing... If anyone wants to know, I had writer's block. I might be having it for a while, unless I get some more reviews. PLEASE, they are my fuel! Review, tell me what you think! (I would appreciate it if no one flamed. I'm open to criticism, but not open hatred.)**

Draco pushes the door open, and I notice that it doesn't creak. This house _must_ be expensive. We step inside, and I have to catch my breath. The walls are made entirely of white marble, the floors of mahogany wood. The room is enormous, around one hundred square feet. At the back is a winding black staircase leading to the floor above. Right beside the door is a coatrack, already filled with fifty-odd jackets and shawls.

I don't have a jacket, and all Draco has is a tuxedo, so we start to pass by. I remember the phoenix crab, and I decide to let it loose from its cage. I know that it won't harm me, and it most likely won't be a problem to anyone else, but I have to be careful. So I put an anti-fire charm on the phoenix crab and hope that no one wants to see it breathe.

I am painfully aware of Draco's grip on my hand, and I curse my heart for fluttering. I cannot possibly be falling for my former tormentor. I probably just didn't eat enough. This is a dinner party, right? It should be better by the end of the meal.

That meal can't come fast enough. Draco and I are whisked from couple to couple, being introduced and forgotten, being given information and asked of it. I don't remember any names, and only the faces of those scared of my crossbreed.

We don't talk to Celestina until just before nine o' clock, and she is the one that comes to us. I force myself to memorize every detail of her appearance, so as to report back to Mrs. Weasley. Wait until she hears about this...

Celestina pats Draco's arm. "Hello, dear," she says. "I was wondering when I would get the chance to speak with you!"

"Miss Warbeck," Draco acknowledges, bowing his head slightly.

She waves this off. "Celestina to you. And anyway, I'll be Mrs. Grye soon, so no point in calling me an unmarried woman." She turns to face me, seemingly just noticing I'm standing inches from her. "And who is your new girlfriend, Mr. Malfoy?"

My face burns, and I start to object, but Draco talks first. "Hermione Granger." I glare at him.

"How nice," Celestina smiles. "And where do you work?" I blink back my surprise, remembering that this is a business dinner and so people would naturally wonder about jobs.

"I'm head of my department at the Ministry of Magic," I tell her before Draco can.

She beams. "Which department? International Cooperation? I used to work there. Loved the travel."

"No, I work for the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I brought a crossbreed-"

"As a favor to me," Draco interjects, "to show our happiness with this arrangement."

Celestina grins. She points to the phoenix crab. "Is that it?"

"Yes," I answer.

She wrinkles her nose. "Slightly distasteful. But interesting, I must admit. What is it?"

"A phoenix crab."

"Which is?"

I look at Draco, who smirks and looks away. I'm on my own, apparently. "A cross between a phoenix and a crab."

Celestina smacks herself on the forehead. "Of course. I'm such a blonde sometimes." I bite back a laugh, eyeing the long, gold locks resting on her shoulders.

Draco elbows me, and I realize that I'm supposed to respond. I manage to choke out, "I have those moments at times as well" before a bell chimes.

"Oh!" she exclaims. "Time for dinner! Come, sit!" She flits over to the long table and sits at the very end. Draco sits next to her with me on his other side. I sigh, resigning myself to the fact that this will be an extremely long night.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry for the long wait, but I've had awful writer's block again. Please keep reading the story, though, it's going to get good. And don't worry, the rating won't get above K Plus.**

I have been staring at the table for the past ten minutes, wondering when Celestina's anecdotes will end. She's been telling them continuously for the past half an hour, and she doesn't seem to be losing steam. Right now, she's saying that people would pay her to give concerts every night by the time she was fifteen.

Right. No one pays her to give concerts _now,_ let alone twenty years ago. But I hold my tongue, because we're at her house, and I don't think insulting her would help with Draco's business deal.

Celestina passes me the peas, which sets her off on another story about how at one bar, she had to dress up as a vegetable, since the place was organic. I fight to suppress my eye-roll, but it doesn't work. And Celestina sees it.

"Everything all right, dear?" she asks me. I smile at her.

"Of course, Ms. Warbeck. I was just admiring your beautiful ceiling," I tell her.

"Oh, Hermione, please call me Celestina. Didn't I tell you that already? I think I did. You should really remember more," she says. I take a deep breath. This idiotic woman is getting on my nerves. I grip the seat cushion beneath me and grin again.

"I know. It's a bit of a problem for me," I say. Draco raises an eyebrow at me, and I kick him under the table. He seethes and turns away.

The rest of dinner passes without much incident. Celestina's assistant breaks a plate, and gets yelled at for around ten minutes. The poor girl leaves, terrified and fired, and I feel bad for her. But who wants to work for this woman anyway?

After dinner is cleared away and dessert has been brought out, I start to get a little jumpy. How long does Celestina want us to stay in her house? I didn't know it was customary to hold people hostage at dinner.

The dessert is awful, just like the main course. Fried liver. Seriously? I know she's a witch, but does she have to come right out of a fairy tale book? I eat one bite and, after gagging, Vanish it with my wand.

Celestina has been asking every couple how they came to be together, but I don't really notice until she turns to Draco.

"So," she says to him, "how did you meet Hermione?" Draco freezes. I have to hold back a laugh, I have to, I have to, I have to...

"Well," he starts, "I had to come to the Ministry for business..." he trails off and looks at me. Me? What am _I_ supposed to do?

"And, uh..." I say. "I guess we..."

"Don't worry, honey," Celestina says. "I get it." She winks, and I almost faint. I can't believe she actually thinks that we're together. "So you won't mind sharing a room tonight?"

"What?" I ask.

Celestina looks at Draco. "You didn't tell her?"

"Of course I did." Draco looks at me. "You knew that we're spending the night, right? Everyone else is." He widens his eyes, trying to tell me to play along. I'm almost too startled to do it, but I manage.

"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, I didn't hear you correctly, Celestina. But we can't share a room," I add.

"Why not?" she asks.

Draco and I share a look. I try to come up with something, but I can't. "I just, don't really feel like-"

"But you've got to! It just wouldn't be right. And besides, there are no extra rooms in the house for you to have your own," she says.

"I live right-" I start, but Draco cuts me off.

"Can we have a moment?" he asks Celestina, and grabs my arm tightly.

"Sure, sure, go ahead." Draco pulls me away and into the kitchen, where we can still hear Celestina and her friends laughing over something, probably me.

Draco turns to look me in the eye. "What are you doing?"

"Excuse me if I didn't know I had to spend the entire _night_ at this insane woman's house! In the same room as _you,_ no less! Why didn't you mention that?" I ask, trying not to yell at him.

"I thought you knew! It's kind of custom in the wizarding community."

"I've never heard of it," I say.

"Too bad! We have to share a room," he says. "Do you think I want to?"

"Of course not. But what are we going to do?"

"Maybe there will be twin beds," he suggests.

"You'd better be right. And you told her we were together?"

"Yes, I did, but only because she wouldn't have let you come otherwise. One of her rules is that only couples or families can come."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," I say.

"I know, but we have to play along. If you leave, if this blows at all, my company is going to fail, and it's going to be all your fault."

"So what? Why should I care about your stupid business?"

"Because I am the biggest donator to your department and you won't have any money if I don't, which means you'll lose your job, your house, and your life," he says.

"That's a bit extreme. I did help save the world and kill Voldemort. I'm pretty sure I'd get hired anywhere I wanted to work. Plus, you are _not_ the biggest donator, and my department only uses donations for extra projects that we wouldn't do otherwise." I don't tell him that one of those "extra projects" happens to be working on funding our floor, but he doesn't need to know. I'm not going to betray him, but I don't want him to think that I actually care about his stupid company. "I'm not going to ruin this for you, Malfoy. I'm not _you._"

I turn around and walk straight out of the kitchen, sit down at my seat once more, and resume mindless chatter with Celestina Warbeck.


End file.
